IN THE SPIRIT OF LOVE WE COMMENT: On monopolizing Same Sex Holy Unions

There is a movement by a single church to monopolize same sex holy unions and they say that their group or church is the ONLY church that conducts same sex holy unions.

FIRST, is there any verse in the Bible that says, same sex holy unions or blessings are reserved for their church only?

SECOND, are there any other churches in the Philippines that also conducts same sex holy unions? Yes there are. We have the St. Aelred Monastery Manila under the Diocese of One Spirit and Independent Catholic Organization headed by Rev. Fr. Richard Mickley. We also have the Unitarian Universalist Churches in the Philippines headed by Bro. Bob. And also Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd Church of God – CUC ministered by Ptr. Regen Luna. And also there are other protestant, independent Catholics and Catholic priests who conducts same sex holy unions in secret.

THIRD, Is God monopolized by a single church? No, God is for everyone. Christ is for everyone and the Holy Spirit is for everyone. And also the Bible is for everyone.

LET US LEARN FROM HISTORY

There was a time when the church was one. It monopolizes everything and what happened? God wants to reform it but this church doesn’t want to be reformed. What happened? God send reformers to reform this church and they were called the protestants. And God and the church was not monopolized
by only one organization but was shared by all people.

LET US LEARN FROM REALITY

Even if we wanted to monopolize same sex holy unions as long as there’s no laws here in the Philippines about it all of our unions are only rites and ceremonies no legalities attached on it. And also all churches does not monopolize holy matrimonial rites, all churches share this right of conducting the rite of marriage for men and women. So saying that your church is the only church that conducts same sex holy union and using pictures of Ellen De Generes and her partner (By the way do you have the copyrights or permission by Ellen De Generes and her partner so that their picture will be posted on your facebook page?) it only shows that your church is starting to be far away from the truth, far from history and far from reality.

Your church taught us in being a welcoming, affirming, loving, uniting, understanding and ecumenical church but the question now is when you became institutionalized and became a big denomination where are these beautiful traits now? Fr. Preire was right when he said that when oppressed people came into power they became the oppresors.

LEARNING FROM THOSE WHO CAME OUT

Realities dictates when an organization is now becoming an organization that drifted away from its original intention when it was first conceived people become disatisfied and wants reforms. If you will continue in this manner of thinking that your church is the supreme church for the GLBT community here in the Philippines think again. There are many who came out from your church
and they have many stories to tell. And there are so many members who are contacting me about the changes that your church is doing and many are just silent about it.

USING FACEBOOK

Our church only posts Holy Unions after it was conducted, we use facebook just to announce that this was our past activities. And we don’t need to use face book just to have Holy Unions. We used it to tell our friends that this is our activities. We have so many Holy Union schedules even we don’t promote it on facebook. Your church used the photo of Ellen De Generes and her partner do you have permission to do that? from Ellen herself or her partner? We don’t need famous persons just to advertise our Holy Unions we just use photo’s of ordinary people with their permission.

LEARNING FROM OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST

Even our Lord Jesus Christ when he was on earth didn’t have the luxury of monopolizing even his own group. In Mark 9:38 to 40 we read:

“John said to him, “Teacher, we saw a man who was driving out demons in your name, and we told him to stop, because he doesn’t belong to our group.” “Do not try to stop him,” Jesus told them, “because no one who performs a miracle in my name will be able soon afterward to say evil things about me. For whoever is not
against us is for us…”

Our Lord Jesus Christ was so tolerant of other groups that preaches his own name! These groups doesn’t belong to his group. John was quite clear about it. Our Lord said that these groups also is his groups. This is the will of our Lord Jesus Christ and not the will of man. This is how the Lord thinks and not how we think. This is our Lord’s faith not the way we believe. So, much have been said, trying to monopolize the rights of conducting same-sex holy unions will just result in disunity and an insult among all organizations
and churches who teaches liberal Christianity. Reality and history dictates just like what happened to the United States where there are many GLBT welcoming and affirming churches with the same rights, then it will be true here in the Philippines and other parts of the world. No one has the rights to monopolize the GLBT community especially trying to monopolize Same-Sex Holy Unions.

I pray that this church will change and do not stand of being an oppressor to other churches but instead will be Christ-like in reaching her hands to other churches to promote unity, peace, freedom, justice and understanding. So that our communities will perceive liberal Christianity as a good alternative to a liberal
world of today. We may criticize each other but always in the spirit of love and to those who are being criticized have a humble heart to reform, transform and change. We are also open to be criticized but in the spirit of love. We criticize your church because we love you and we don’t want to see a church that oppresses other churches, do not stay on that path just like our beloved Roman Catholic Churches did a long long time ago because if that happens, inside your church will arise reformers and protestants who will reform your church whether you like it or not.

We always thank God for your church, because it was used by God to be the pioneer for spreading God’s love and salvation for the GLBT community. We always praise God for your tireless efforts in bringing the message to the GLBT community. But always bear in mind that in your power alone you cannot reach the whole Philippines by your church alone. It was not true in the USA and will not be true for all parts of the world. Unity in Diversity is the key. Teamwork among other churches will produce great harvest of souls for the Kingdom. And so we say that we should be careful in posting something that is not true, saying that your church is the
ONLY church that conducts holy unions is a big big insult to other churches and a BIG LIE to the GLBT Community.

Proverbs 17:10 (GNB) “An intelligent person learns more from one rebuke than a fool learns from being beaten a hundred times…”

Proverbs 9:8 (KJV) “Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee…”